CIEväriavaruuteen

The CIE color space, formally known as CIE 1931 XYZ, is a standard color space created by the International Commission on Illumination (CIE) in 1931. It was developed to provide a consistent and objective way to describe and measure human color perception. Before the CIE color space, color descriptions were often subjective and varied greatly between individuals.

The CIE color space is based on the physiological response of the human eye to light. It is defined by three tristimulus values, denoted as X, Y, and Z. These values do not directly correspond to specific wavelengths of light but rather represent the weighted sum of the spectral power distribution of a color, filtered through the cone responses of the human eye. The Y value is particularly important as it is generally taken to represent the luminance, or perceived brightness, of a color.

The CIE XYZ color space is device-independent, meaning it is not tied to a specific display or printing technology. This makes it a foundational standard for color management systems, allowing for the accurate conversion and reproduction of colors across different devices. The chromaticity diagram, a common representation derived from the CIE XYZ space, plots the hue and saturation of colors, excluding luminance information, and is a valuable tool for visualizing the range of colors visible to the human eye.